MEDICINE HAT, AB — It’s easy to see Blake Rowlett is excited to be back with the team he helped win a league championship with.
Ask him, and he’ll agree.
Rejoining the Medicine Hat Mavericks for the start of summer 2017 was an easy decision to make.
“I came back in and I’ve got the same billet family, they welcomed me back here with open arms,” said the Tennessee-based infielder, who played for the Mavericks in 2014 and 2015. “It feels like I never left to be honest. I knew the route to come from the house to the field, everything is good.”
Last summer, Rowlett took a position with the rival Okotoks Dawgs midway through the season. His 34 hits in 26 games, clipping a .337 batting average was among the best in the entire WMBL. Had he maintained that pace through the entire season, Rowlett would have finished somewhere in the top 15 league wide in both statistics.
Although he has a deep respect for the Dawgs organization, he can’t help but praise owner Greg Morrison and the Mavericks fan-base.
“Just the feeling around town, you just know that the Mavericks mean something to (the fans),” added Rowlett. “Greg and his ownership and his leadership through us; It’s really rare to have someone that high on leadership who takes the time to come out here for early work.”
Arriving Wednesday evening, Rowlett knew what to expect by coming back to the Hat. On top of his dedication to the club, his experience in the Gas City is also positive, helping the club to it’s most recent league title in 2014. Morrison and pitching coach Kyle Swannack were the only other members of that franchise still with the team.
“That group was one of the most cohesive units,” added Rowlett. “Everybody kind of liked each other, everybody got along. I walked into the clubhouse today and everybody was waiting to shake my hand.
“It feels more like the middle of the season, not really training camp for me.”
Rowlett will don Mavericks red on Friday night in (of all places) Okotoks to kick off the 2017 campaign. But he says he’s not phased by taking on his former team off the bat.
“I think of it as another game, another chance to help the team win,” continued Rowlett. “That’s what I came back here for, was to help us win.”
